AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Sullivans Lake is a small, low-key body of water in the parkland lake country of the Rural Municipality of St. Clements, northeast of Winnipeg in Manitoba. Covering roughly 28 hectares, it is one of a tight cluster of quiet lakes set among bush and farmland, and it draws visitors not for developed facilities but for solitude and simple shore fishing.↗↗
There is no mapped public boat launch or stocking program at Sullivans Lake, which keeps it uncrowded and suits travelers who prefer a water you can work from the bank rather than a busy resort pond. The surrounding St. Clements area offers the wider recreation menu—parks, beaches and year-round outdoor pursuits—so the lake is best appreciated as a peaceful local stop within a lakeside and riverine corner of southern Manitoba.↗↗↗
A Quiet Lake in St. Clements Country
Sullivans Lake sits in the RM of St. Clements, a rural municipality that runs northeast from the edge of Winnipeg toward Lake Winnipeg, its western boundary traced by the Red River. The terrain here is genuinely varied—rolling plains, rich forest and marshland—so a small lake like Sullivans is framed by lake-country bush rather than open prairie.↗↗
The lake itself lies at about 216 to 220 metres in elevation and spans roughly 28.6 hectares, making it an intimate water you can read entirely from its shoreline. For supplies and services, the nearest town of any size is Selkirk, about 28 kilometres to the southwest, with Beausejour and Gimli each around 36 kilometres away.↗↗
What to Notice and Do
The main reason to visit is the fishing, and it is fishing of the patient, bank-side kind. There is no slipway mapped within reach, so the realistic approach is to work the margins and the first drop of the shore, where walleye come to jigs worked slowly near the bottom or to crankbaits trolled along the edges at dusk. Species recorded across the wider St. Clements area include walleye, channel catfish, common carp, goldeye and bigmouth buffalo—treat this as the local picture rather than a guaranteed list for this particular water.↗
If you would rather roam, you are in the middle of a small family of lakes. Folster Lake lies about 2.1 kilometres away, with Parisian Lake, Anderson Lake, Swedish Lake and Longbottoms Lake all within a few kilometres, so a quiet afternoon can easily take in two or three of these low-traffic waters. Otherwise the appeal is simply nature: shoreline walks, birdlife and the open, undeveloped feel of a lake that has no public launch to funnel crowds to it.↗↗
Planning Your Visit
Sullivans Lake follows a distinct Manitoba seasonal rhythm. Ice typically clears around late April and freeze-up returns near mid-November, with July averaging close to 19°C and January around −18°C. The shoulder weeks just after break-up and before freeze-up are often the most productive for fishing, while summer evenings are the most pleasant for a quiet visit to the shore.↗
A few practical points keep a trip here trouble-free: carry a valid Manitoba fishing licence, since a licence is needed regardless of access type; confirm current season dates and any bait restrictions before you go; and remember that access status to the water itself is not clearly mapped, so expect to reach the lake from adjacent roads or permitted points rather than a signed public site. Much of the surrounding land is private, so leave any gates as you find them and respect posted boundaries.↗
Nearby to Explore
Sullivans Lake works well as a quiet stop paired with the broader recreation of St. Clements. To the north, Grand Beach Provincial Park on Lake Winnipeg is one of Manitoba's most popular destinations, with its long sandy beach and surrounding beach communities. Along the Red River, Lockport is a renowned fishing and river-side spot, while the Mars Hill Wildlife Management Area near Libau protects a mix of bog and parkland with wildflowers and wildlife. Combining these gives a fuller day out while Sullivans itself stays the low-key, off-the-beaten-track centerpiece.↗
What makes it special
A little planning goes a long way
About this guide
Compiled with AI assistance from the sources below; this is not a first-hand visit. Place details collected October 5, 2026. Hours, access and ratings can change; confirm with the venue before visiting.
